I've known for some time that faith is important to Jesus, but somehow along the way, I allowed the act of doing to gain inordinate importance in my walk with Jesus. As I spend time looking closely, deeply and reflectively at what Jesus says in the Gospels, I'm struck with the fact that what pleases Jesus is not action but strong faith. Take the example of the centurion and his servant that required healing. He knew that Jesus didn't have to travel to his home to heal the servant and told Jesus this. In response to seeing this profound faith, Jesus gave this centurion one of the highest compliments during His 3 year sojourn on this earth!
In contrast, what seems most to frustrate Jesus was lack of faith, not lack of action. Right after the transfiguration, when Jesus and the 3 disciples came down from the mountain, Jesus was faced with the situation that the disciples that did not go up the mountain were unable to cure a young boy controlled by an unclean spirit. In frustration at what is called their lack of faith, Jesus proclaimed "Oh unbelieving generation, how long will I be with you". Jesus was frustrated by the weak faith of His followers.
I find myself living in a society that thrives on action, accomplishment and goals. On the one hand it shouldn't surprise me...it is the world. Yet I can't escape it and so often I get drawn into the same thinking that tells me that if I really want to be a "successful" Christian I must achieve in action.
That is not the way of Jesus. First and foremost, He is concerned that we have faith...lot's of it! Then, as He tells the disciples later in the 9th chapter of Mark, to be first in the kingdom is to be last, and to be greatest in the kingdom is to be a servant.
We don't achieve in the kingdom of God in the same way we achieve in the world.
We achieve in the kingdom of God by having faith and out of that faith seeking to serve those around us.
Sunday, February 17, 2013
Sunday, January 27, 2013
The Interior Life
I've been a Christian for over 35 years, and I hate to admit how many of those years were spent thinking that the mot important thing in my Christian walk was attaining knowledge about God, rather than knowledge "of" God. There is a difference and I've been too slow to recognize that difference and pursue the latter.
We cannot attain knowledge of God without experiencing Him. We experience God to the degree that we seek to spend time with Him. It's really not that difficult to understand. We can attain a huge amount of knowledge about another person, but we only really get to know that person by spending time with them. It isn't any different with God.
Yet in spite of knowing that, I've not spent nearly as much time "with" the Lord as I should. I've fallen into the deadly trap of putting off prayer, meditation, and "being" with Him in order to pursue what I thought at the time were more important things...like accomplishing the "to do" list for the day. I've got plenty of days when I accomplished all and more of what was on my to do list...but not enough days when I spent adequate time experiencing the Lord. It should be the other way around.
But as in many things in the Christian walk, there is no good in spending much time in regret except to enable and enhance my commitment to make the necessary change.
This world seems increasingly built upon the predication that importance is directly related to accomplishment. May I work more diligently to develop the countercultural thinking that accomplishment is not nearly as important as the development of the interior life of relating to the Lord. May I realize that all true accomplishment arises from an interior life that is vitally connected with the living God. Therefore, rather than sacrificing time in prayer, meditation, and communion with God in order to get to "accomplishing", I must sacrifice the feeling and high of accomplishment to focus on that which is truly important...becoming more like Christ.
It is not as easy as it sounds...especially if you've spent a lifetime living in that pattern. But I can hardly think of anything more important. Do I want to come to the end of my life with a long list of accomplishments that really don't matter...or do I want to come to the end of my life having drawn close to the One who made me?
Put that way...there really is no choice...
We cannot attain knowledge of God without experiencing Him. We experience God to the degree that we seek to spend time with Him. It's really not that difficult to understand. We can attain a huge amount of knowledge about another person, but we only really get to know that person by spending time with them. It isn't any different with God.
Yet in spite of knowing that, I've not spent nearly as much time "with" the Lord as I should. I've fallen into the deadly trap of putting off prayer, meditation, and "being" with Him in order to pursue what I thought at the time were more important things...like accomplishing the "to do" list for the day. I've got plenty of days when I accomplished all and more of what was on my to do list...but not enough days when I spent adequate time experiencing the Lord. It should be the other way around.
But as in many things in the Christian walk, there is no good in spending much time in regret except to enable and enhance my commitment to make the necessary change.
This world seems increasingly built upon the predication that importance is directly related to accomplishment. May I work more diligently to develop the countercultural thinking that accomplishment is not nearly as important as the development of the interior life of relating to the Lord. May I realize that all true accomplishment arises from an interior life that is vitally connected with the living God. Therefore, rather than sacrificing time in prayer, meditation, and communion with God in order to get to "accomplishing", I must sacrifice the feeling and high of accomplishment to focus on that which is truly important...becoming more like Christ.
It is not as easy as it sounds...especially if you've spent a lifetime living in that pattern. But I can hardly think of anything more important. Do I want to come to the end of my life with a long list of accomplishments that really don't matter...or do I want to come to the end of my life having drawn close to the One who made me?
Put that way...there really is no choice...
Sunday, January 06, 2013
The essence of change as a Christian
I've been a Christian for almost 40 years...and I still regularly try to improve myself in the same way that the world prescribes.
You see, the world would tell you that in order to change, you must work to alter a particular behavior. You must either fight against it, or you must work to bring it out more. For instance, almost everyone agrees that we should "become more patient" as we mature. In order to achieve that, the world says that we should work hard in ourselves to foster patience...to seek patience...to TRY to be more patient.
Unfortunately, with lot of hard work, we can achieve some success in this way. However, this is not how the Bible or the Lord taught us how to change.
The Lord's method for change is radically different than this. In fact, it's not only radically different, His method itself is radical. It can be summed up in His words to His disciples..."take up your cross and follow me."
Jesus never tells us that we should work hard to develop one characteristic or suppress an unwanted characteristic. Instead, He tells us to take up an instrument of death...the cross...in order to destroy that part of us in which our negative characteristics reside.
The way of Jesus is to destroy our flesh, not to change it.
The way of the cross is that I become more patient as my flesh is increasingly destroyed and the Holy Spirit within me can express that patience more through me. With the Holy Spirit residing within me, I have the ability to show perfect patience. but my flesh prevents it from being seen.
Let me try a word picture. The Bible tells us that we are vessels with the capacity to carry the Holy Spirit within us. Those who establish a close trusting relationship with Christ are given the Holy Spirit who comes to reside in us.
But frankly, within each of us, there are characteristics that don't mix well with the Holy Spirit. This would include our self-centeredness, our desire for control as well as our wrong desires. The Bible calls that part of us our flesh. Since our flesh is most often what the world around us sees, it is like the lining of the vessel we call us. That discolored lining prevents the world from seeing the Holy Spirit. Paul tells us in Galatians that the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness and self control. All things we should want to exhibit. The problem is, we are all trying to make our flesh more loving, joyful, peaceful etc. I don't know about you, but with me it really isn't working all that well.
If instead, we were to allow the Lord to scrape away the flesh from within us, the natural fruit of the Holy Spirit can shine through.
It's hard to remember though...I'm constantly trying to change the flesh within me instead of just allowing God to destroy it.
We truly change through the process of dying...not the process of trying.
You see, the world would tell you that in order to change, you must work to alter a particular behavior. You must either fight against it, or you must work to bring it out more. For instance, almost everyone agrees that we should "become more patient" as we mature. In order to achieve that, the world says that we should work hard in ourselves to foster patience...to seek patience...to TRY to be more patient.
Unfortunately, with lot of hard work, we can achieve some success in this way. However, this is not how the Bible or the Lord taught us how to change.
The Lord's method for change is radically different than this. In fact, it's not only radically different, His method itself is radical. It can be summed up in His words to His disciples..."take up your cross and follow me."
Jesus never tells us that we should work hard to develop one characteristic or suppress an unwanted characteristic. Instead, He tells us to take up an instrument of death...the cross...in order to destroy that part of us in which our negative characteristics reside.
The way of Jesus is to destroy our flesh, not to change it.
The way of the cross is that I become more patient as my flesh is increasingly destroyed and the Holy Spirit within me can express that patience more through me. With the Holy Spirit residing within me, I have the ability to show perfect patience. but my flesh prevents it from being seen.
Let me try a word picture. The Bible tells us that we are vessels with the capacity to carry the Holy Spirit within us. Those who establish a close trusting relationship with Christ are given the Holy Spirit who comes to reside in us.
But frankly, within each of us, there are characteristics that don't mix well with the Holy Spirit. This would include our self-centeredness, our desire for control as well as our wrong desires. The Bible calls that part of us our flesh. Since our flesh is most often what the world around us sees, it is like the lining of the vessel we call us. That discolored lining prevents the world from seeing the Holy Spirit. Paul tells us in Galatians that the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness and self control. All things we should want to exhibit. The problem is, we are all trying to make our flesh more loving, joyful, peaceful etc. I don't know about you, but with me it really isn't working all that well.
If instead, we were to allow the Lord to scrape away the flesh from within us, the natural fruit of the Holy Spirit can shine through.
It's hard to remember though...I'm constantly trying to change the flesh within me instead of just allowing God to destroy it.
We truly change through the process of dying...not the process of trying.
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Blessed are those who mourn
What is the emotional state of those who recognize their true state of being created in a state of continual need? How would you feel if you became increasingly aware that you are incomplete in yourself? If you dropped all your false defenses and admitted your true condition of never quite being fully complete and satisfied in this world?
You would be sad...and more than that...I believe you would mourn.
In Mt. 5:4, Jesus tells us that those who mourn are blessed; they shall be comforted. I believe He is saying that blessed are those who do not try to cover over their sadness at being created in a state of continual need with the things of this world. How easy it is to do this! We are now nearing Christmas and most are participating in the frenzy of purchasing gifts that do not last. How wonderful it is to give, but how dangerous it is to try to fill that God shaped hole in each of us through either giving or receiving.
Far better Jesus says is it for us to regularly sense that ache...to mourn...so that we remember that we were created for union with something (someone) far greater than ourselves and anything in this world. We should mourn because we were made for union with God...and until that union is complete...we are not complete. Blessed are those who recognize that fact.
You would be sad...and more than that...I believe you would mourn.
In Mt. 5:4, Jesus tells us that those who mourn are blessed; they shall be comforted. I believe He is saying that blessed are those who do not try to cover over their sadness at being created in a state of continual need with the things of this world. How easy it is to do this! We are now nearing Christmas and most are participating in the frenzy of purchasing gifts that do not last. How wonderful it is to give, but how dangerous it is to try to fill that God shaped hole in each of us through either giving or receiving.
Far better Jesus says is it for us to regularly sense that ache...to mourn...so that we remember that we were created for union with something (someone) far greater than ourselves and anything in this world. We should mourn because we were made for union with God...and until that union is complete...we are not complete. Blessed are those who recognize that fact.
Poor in spirit
Most have heard and are familiar with the sermon on the mount recorded in the fifth chapter of Matthew. But getting to the exact meaning of the words spoken by Jesus is another matter. Especially at the beginning, the sermon on the mount is an enigmatic collection of sayings starting with the Jesus telling us that the poor in spirit are "blessed" and that the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to them.
So naturally we are left to ask, "what does it mean to be poor in spirit"?
To be poor is to be lacking something. In this case, it is doubtful that what is lacking is money. The poor in spirit are literally lacking spirit. But what does that mean? I agree with Jamison, Faucett and Brown that it probably is referring to a "frame of mind." It is a frame of mind that not only possesses the quality of being poor in spirit, but also recognizes its condition. I believe the underlying theme of the New Testament is that each of us is in reality poor in spirit; however few actually recognize that fact. Blessed are those who recognize their true condition of being poor in spirit.
Yet, what consists of true recognition of this fact? Is there something beyond the fact that we realize that we are poor in spirit? Is that all that is to be found in this "frame of mind"? I believe not.
It is the recognition not only of our true condition of being "poor in spirit", but also that the answer to that "lacking" is found only in God. Put a different way, we are all created with a God-shaped hole in our hearts. We are created in the condition of continuous need. We spend lifetimes filling that need with all kinds of things that really don't fit.
Blessed is the man (woman) who recognizes their true condition of being created in need and the true answer to that need....God Himself. For theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.
So naturally we are left to ask, "what does it mean to be poor in spirit"?
To be poor is to be lacking something. In this case, it is doubtful that what is lacking is money. The poor in spirit are literally lacking spirit. But what does that mean? I agree with Jamison, Faucett and Brown that it probably is referring to a "frame of mind." It is a frame of mind that not only possesses the quality of being poor in spirit, but also recognizes its condition. I believe the underlying theme of the New Testament is that each of us is in reality poor in spirit; however few actually recognize that fact. Blessed are those who recognize their true condition of being poor in spirit.
Yet, what consists of true recognition of this fact? Is there something beyond the fact that we realize that we are poor in spirit? Is that all that is to be found in this "frame of mind"? I believe not.
It is the recognition not only of our true condition of being "poor in spirit", but also that the answer to that "lacking" is found only in God. Put a different way, we are all created with a God-shaped hole in our hearts. We are created in the condition of continuous need. We spend lifetimes filling that need with all kinds of things that really don't fit.
Blessed is the man (woman) who recognizes their true condition of being created in need and the true answer to that need....God Himself. For theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.
Sunday, November 25, 2012
What drives us?
It's unfortunately all too common that people rarely think about what is setting the direction of their lives. We tend to spend more time thinking about what we are going to do later in the day or week then we spend thinking about the direction and course of our life. However, there are some thoughtful people who do spend time thinking those deeper thoughts, and if you were to ask them what it was that influenced their decision on the direction of their life...odds are the answer would fall into one of 3 categories.
The first category is essentially that of ideas or knowledge. Some people believe that they set the direction of their life based upon their knowledge of the world around them. They will emphasize education, data, and use the argument that before any decision is made, careful research is undertaken to help guide their decision. The impact of emotion or belief is minimized and the rational is placed at the forefront.
The second category that people feel guide their decisions in life is their beliefs. This is where the goal of establishing a true view of the world (worldview) is important. Beliefs are different than ideas in my definition because ideas are purely rational while beliefs have a component of emotional attachment to the ideas. Those who argue this position believe that decisions regarding the direction of one's life are made based upon their strongly held beliefs regarding their view of the world.
The third category is one of desire. Those who argue this position believe that we are led in our lives first and foremost by our desires. It is certainly true that desires are influenced by rational thought and also by beliefs regarding the world. But in the end, the main factor that sets the direction of our lives is in fact the desires of our heart. We are first and foremost emotional creatures, not essentially rational ones. As time passes in my own life, I have come to realize that the category that has most influenced me is this third category of desire.
Blaise Pascal wrote in his Pensee's the following: “There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of every person, and it can never be filled by any created thing. It can only be filled by God, made known through Jesus Christ.”
I believe we are all driven from birth to fill this God shaped vacuum in our hearts. We have no choice...the vacuum is built into us and we each seek to fill it in many different ways.
Wisdom is found in recognizing and discerning how this God shaped hole is affecting our decisions about tomorrow and the rest of our lives.
The first category is essentially that of ideas or knowledge. Some people believe that they set the direction of their life based upon their knowledge of the world around them. They will emphasize education, data, and use the argument that before any decision is made, careful research is undertaken to help guide their decision. The impact of emotion or belief is minimized and the rational is placed at the forefront.
The second category that people feel guide their decisions in life is their beliefs. This is where the goal of establishing a true view of the world (worldview) is important. Beliefs are different than ideas in my definition because ideas are purely rational while beliefs have a component of emotional attachment to the ideas. Those who argue this position believe that decisions regarding the direction of one's life are made based upon their strongly held beliefs regarding their view of the world.
The third category is one of desire. Those who argue this position believe that we are led in our lives first and foremost by our desires. It is certainly true that desires are influenced by rational thought and also by beliefs regarding the world. But in the end, the main factor that sets the direction of our lives is in fact the desires of our heart. We are first and foremost emotional creatures, not essentially rational ones. As time passes in my own life, I have come to realize that the category that has most influenced me is this third category of desire.
Blaise Pascal wrote in his Pensee's the following: “There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of every person, and it can never be filled by any created thing. It can only be filled by God, made known through Jesus Christ.”
I believe we are all driven from birth to fill this God shaped vacuum in our hearts. We have no choice...the vacuum is built into us and we each seek to fill it in many different ways.
Wisdom is found in recognizing and discerning how this God shaped hole is affecting our decisions about tomorrow and the rest of our lives.
Friday, November 16, 2012
Solitude
This morning I read the well known story of Elijah taking on the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. We all know the story...Elijah challenges the prophets of Baal to a sacrificial duel. They each sacrifice a bull on an altar, and the God who consumes the sacrifice with fire is the true God. Of course Elijah wins since the LORD is the true God and he defeats the prophets of Baal.
When most of us think of Elijah, we think of that story. But if you go to the beginning of the 17th chapter of 1 Kings where the story begins, you learn something interesting. God first called Elijah to tell Ahab, the King of Israel, that there would not be any rain for 3 years. After passing the message on, Elijah goes and lives in hiding way out in the middle of nowhere. He's there by himself for months! What does he do? No Internet, no people, no movies, no books, no Bible...he's there by himself with nothing to do. He doesn't even have to go find food. God has the ravens do that for him.
It's hard for me to imagine spending months in the wilderness like that...absolutely nothing to do but talk to God and think. I mean, I like my solitude, but that's a whole different level! No human interaction for months? I wonder how many of us could do that? Elijah probably thought he was going to be there for 3 YEARS! As it turned out, the brook he was drinking out of dried up, so God moved him into a city to live with a widow. Perhaps God saw something in Elijah that showed he needed to have human interaction.
What strikes me is that while we often think of Elijah as this amazingly powerful prophet, he spent most of his time in what appears to be relative inactivity...and much of it in solitude.
Henri Nouwen writes in The Way of the Heart that there are three keys to strengthening our spiritual life. They are solitude, silence, and prayer. No doubt Elijah practiced all of them...extensively. Perhaps that was why he was chosen by God to offer the sacrifice that was consumed by heavenly fire.
Something to think about...
When most of us think of Elijah, we think of that story. But if you go to the beginning of the 17th chapter of 1 Kings where the story begins, you learn something interesting. God first called Elijah to tell Ahab, the King of Israel, that there would not be any rain for 3 years. After passing the message on, Elijah goes and lives in hiding way out in the middle of nowhere. He's there by himself for months! What does he do? No Internet, no people, no movies, no books, no Bible...he's there by himself with nothing to do. He doesn't even have to go find food. God has the ravens do that for him.
It's hard for me to imagine spending months in the wilderness like that...absolutely nothing to do but talk to God and think. I mean, I like my solitude, but that's a whole different level! No human interaction for months? I wonder how many of us could do that? Elijah probably thought he was going to be there for 3 YEARS! As it turned out, the brook he was drinking out of dried up, so God moved him into a city to live with a widow. Perhaps God saw something in Elijah that showed he needed to have human interaction.
What strikes me is that while we often think of Elijah as this amazingly powerful prophet, he spent most of his time in what appears to be relative inactivity...and much of it in solitude.
Henri Nouwen writes in The Way of the Heart that there are three keys to strengthening our spiritual life. They are solitude, silence, and prayer. No doubt Elijah practiced all of them...extensively. Perhaps that was why he was chosen by God to offer the sacrifice that was consumed by heavenly fire.
Something to think about...
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